Srinagar, Dec. 22: The sacrifice of two cows on Id-ul-Zuha at two places in Jammu sparked communal tension in the region, prompting police to fire in the air to disperse protesters.

Some persons slaughtered a cow in Bali Charna village in the Satwari area yesterday and then another slaughter was reported from Chilog village in the Bani area of Kathua district, said the police chief of Jammu, S.P. Vaid.

Activists of the Kranti Dal, the VHP and other parties thronged the streets at Bani, demanding stern action against the people responsible for the cow slaughter, which is banned in the state.

Around 2,500 people took to the streets to protest against the incident. They burnt tyres and threw stones. The police had to use smoke shells and fire some rounds in the air to quell the mob, he said.

The police have registered two cases and arrested several people for slaughtering the cows, Vaid said.

Rama Kant Dubey, the state president of the VHP, claimed that the slaughter was a planned conspiracy to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in Jammu.